Artisan AI, a San Francisco-based startup known for its AI sales agent Ava, was temporarily banned from LinkedIn due to violations involving unauthorized data scraping and improper use of LinkedIn's name on its website. The ban led to a viral online discussion, but after addressing LinkedIn's concerns, Artisan was reinstated. CEO Jaspar Carmichael-Jack noted that the incident inadvertently boosted the company's visibility and lead flow. Artisan, a Y Combinator graduate, is expanding its services to include outbound calling, highlighting that while LinkedIn is a critical platform for sales, the company can adapt to other channels if necessary. This situation underscores the importance of compliance with platform policies and the potential scrutiny from major tech companies on data practices.
